Although you don’t need a lot of them, you do need to make sure you get enough trace minerals. One reason many people do not get enough is because the current farming practices have largely disturbed the natural mineral balance of our soils. This makes it even more important that you consume a variety of trace mineral rich foods. The most important trace minerals for the body include iron, iodine, cobalt, chromium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and molybdenum.
One of the large roles of trace minerals is to enable enzymes to complete reactions in the body. This means they assist in a wide array of biochemical processes that are always occurring in the body. They are also used for energy production, building blood and bone, producing hormones, and strengthening the immune system. Here are some trace mineral rich foods. If you don’t eat these types of food, or don’t have access to them, you may want to consider a mineral or greens supplement.
Organic Grass Fed Meat, Butter, and Bone Broth
Consuming meat and dairy from organic pasture raised sources can provide a wide array of nutrients. Dairy particularly can be an excellent source of trace minerals as long as the animal was raised consuming plenty of grass rather than genetically modified grains. Consuming grass-fed butter, or ghee, can provide selenium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and iodine. Additionally, the compounds in grass-fed butter are anti-inflammatory, gut-healing, brain-building, and can help you burn fat.
Grass-fed animals are much higher in trace minerals compared to conventional meat. Grass-fed beef and lamb are a great source of selenium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper. Other meats to try include bison, elk, dark-meat poultry, and venison. Another great way to get the same trace minerals is to make bone broth from these same animals. In addition to the trace minerals, bone broth contains collagen compounds that help to heal the gut and improve digestion.
Leafy Greens
Out of all vegetables, organic leafy greens are one of the most nutrient-dense when it comes to trace minerals. For example, kale is a great source of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. Bok Choy is a seldom mentioned super food featuring a significant array of nutrients including potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Lightly steam these vegetables and top with grass-fed butter or olive oil, and sea salt.
Other leafy greens that are full of trace minerals include arugula, collard greens, spinach, and Swiss chard. Try to consume some of these super foods every day if possible. If you follow a low-oxalate diet, it is best to steam these foods lightly before consuming to help lower oxalate content. Another option is to simmer down a combination of sea vegetables, leafy greens, mushrooms, fresh turmeric root, onions, garlic, ginger, and whatever other vegetables you’d like to add. Strain and you have yourself a mineral-rich broth.
Sea Vegetables and Wild Caught Fish
Sea vegetables are one of the most powerful, yet overlooked, sources of trace minerals. They contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, and even can be a good source of protein. Sea vegetables include things like kelp, dulse, nori, and wakame. These can be used in soups and in Asian-inspired dishes. There’s even an organic Sea Kelp Delight Seasoning by Bragg. Sea vegetables tend to contain an array of trace minerals, but are a particularly great source of iodine. Chlorella and spirulina are another type of sea food and are nutritional powerhouses. Making sure to consume organic and if you can, make sure they are lab tested for heavy metal contamination.
Wild-caught fish are also very good sources of trace minerals. This is because they often consume plenty of algae. One of the absolute best fish you can eat is wild-caught sockeye salmon. Salmon contains high amounts of selenium, phosphorus, and iodine. In addition to vital trace minerals, salmon also contains high amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, and choline. This array of nutrients make salmon a super anti-inflammatory brain food. Other great fish options include wild caught sardines, herring, and cod.
Avocados and Olives
Avocados are versatile and nutrient dense. They contain the trace minerals magnesium, potassium, iron, and copper. Additionally, avocados are rich in healthy fats, B vitamins, Vitamin K, and fiber. For those that can process the higher fat content of avocados, avocados can benefit the cardiovascular system, digestion and metabolism, and the immune system. They also provide the building blocks for muscle, hair, skin, nails, teeth, and bone growth.
Olives are tiny oily fruits that are loaded with anti-oxidants, healthy fats, copper, calcium, and magnesium. The health benefits of olives include improving cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, lowering diabetes risk, helping to fight infection, and even helping to prevent bone loss in osteoporosis. For trace mineral benefits, it is best to consume olives in their whole form. While olive oil preserves some of the antioxidant properties of olives, most of the trace minerals are retained in the fruit. As always, look to organic olives to make sure you avoid any contaminants. The environmental working group, does site some concerns even about organic olives due to large amounts of sodium, preservatives, and processing that some of them have undergone.
Eggs and Fermented Foods
Eggs are incredibly healthy for most people as long as they come from chickens who were raised on organic pastures. Eggs from these chickens are drastically higher in nutrients. They are also a great source of the trace minerals selenium and phosphorus in addition to healthy fat, cholesterol, active vitamin A, and Vitamin D. In addition, eggs from pastured chickens can help to reduce your risk of heart disease, improve eye health, assist in weight loss, and improve brain health.
Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, pickles, and kimchi can be excellent sources of trace minerals as well. The process of fermentation makes these nutrients highly absorbable. An important factor to consider is the mineral density of the salt used to make these fermented products. By using a mineral-rich salt you can actually make these foods even more nutritious. The combination of probiotics, biologically-active enzymes, and highly absorbable minerals make these fermented foods a great option to meet your trace mineral needs.
Did this help you? If so, I’d greatly appreciate it if you commented and/or share it on social media.
Email: sharonledwards@hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonledwardsbiz/